Conservatives have fallen hard for Christie’s aggressive style in fighting state employee unions in New Jersey and have been calling for him to run in a field that appears to have an opening for him. Christie said the rationale for conservatives pushing him to run are “appropriate and maybe accurate tactical judgments,” but contended his decision has not been driven by the political calculus.

“That’s not the way you make decisions like running for president of the United States,” he said. “I’m making this decision based on whether I believe in my heart that I’m ready to be president of the United States.”

Christie though clearly has put some thought into running nationally someday.

When Morgan asked the New Jersey governor if he was “100 percent certain” he wouldn’t run in 2016, Christie didn’t want to shut the door.

“There’s so many variables to that, Piers, I couldn’t say,” Christie said.